After Zaboru returned from his trip to Osaka and settled back in Tokyo, time moved with an enjoyable momentum. Now, it's already the end of March, and many notable events have occurred in between.
On 25 January, two new games were released under the ZAGE label, though neither was by Zaboru. One was developed by Hideo Kojima and the other by Yugo Kanai. Kojima's game is titled Zone EX: Interceptor Protocol—or simply ZEX, as Kojima himself dubbed it, a name that Zaboru enthusiastically approved, feeling it was a perfect fit for the ZAGE brand.
The details of ZEX highlight Kojima's distinct creative talents. Despite its 8-bit design, the game delivers an engaging, albeit occasionally hard-to-follow story. The gameplay is fast-paced, side-scrolling mecha action, but with a unique twist: Heat Management. Every attack, dash, or boost generates heat. Overheating temporarily disables the mech's core functions, compelling players to think and act tactically.
Basic Controls:
D-Pad: Movement / Climb / Wall Grab
X Button: Jump (Hold to hover)
O Button: Primary attack (ranged/melee, based on equipped module)
Select: Switch weapon modules in real-time
Start: Pause/MenuDown + X: Drop-through or vault
Story Summary: Set in the year 2089, Earth is ruled by ZEROCORP, a powerful military conglomerate maintaining order through elite combat mechs called EX Units. The protagonist, Rai Vokura, a former ace pilot, stumbles upon Project ZONE EX—a hidden protocol engineered to reboot humanity via AI-orchestrated extinction. Branded a traitor, Rai commandeers a prototype EX Unit and launches a rebellion, fighting through corrupted sectors, rogue AI forces, and even former comrades. Along the journey, Rai must grapple with questions of identity, morality, and sacrifice.
One of highlight of this game is that This game features three major endings:
Normal Ending (Yui Hana Route): Rai teams up with Yui Hana, a key female character. After defeating the final boss, EX-ZERO—a mech that mirrors the player's chosen build—Rai disables ZEROCORP's AI core. The final message reads:
"HUMANITY RESTORED. SYSTEM ERASED. THANK YOU FOR PLAYING."
Control Ending (ZANE Route): Rai aligns with ZEROCORP's AI, ZANE, and reprograms the ZONE EX protocol, becoming a central neural overseer. The world enters a new era of peace—under total surveillance. The ending message:
"PEACE THROUGH PRECISION. ZONE EX REBOOT COMPLETE."
Exile Ending: Rai chooses to spare EX-ZERO, fleeing together as fugitives. Humanity and ZEROCORP brand them as traitors, plunging the world into chaos. This ending hints at a potential sequel. Final messages:
"THE SYSTEM FAILED. BUT SO DID YOU."
(Later, a cryptic radio message follows):
"This is Vokura… if you hear this, it's not too late. We were on the wrong side after all."
The boss fight with EX-ZERO is especially intense and multi-layered. Initially, the player faces EX-ZERO in a full mecha-on-mecha showdown. EX-ZERO is designed as a mirror of the player's build, but with heightened efficiency, significantly more damage output, and increased health, creating a tough and strategic challenge. Once this first phase is defeated, the battle evolves depending on the ending the player is on.
In the Normal Ending route, after defeating first EX-ZERO hacks into the mainframe, disabling all nearby weaponry. This forces the player into a desperate fistfight inside the mechas, stripped of all ranged or modular combat. During this raw confrontation, EX-ZERO delivers haunting dialogue—lines like "You are me," and "You were supposed to understand"—injecting psychological tension into the physical battle. The emotional weight of this fight underscores the narrative's themes of identity and duality.
In the second ending, Yui Hana takes drastic action by summoning the Humanity Corps and deploying Humanity's most advanced mecha, known as the Hyperion Unit. The Hyperion Unit engages EX-ZERO in an epic battle, ultimately destroying it. However, instead of ending there, Yui turns her sights on Rai, deeming his alliance with ZEROCORP's AI a betrayal of humanity. What follows is a climactic confrontation between the player and Yui Hana in the Hyperion Unit—a fight not just of power, but of ideologies. Yui questions Rai's choices throughout the battle, challenging his allegiance and vision for the future. During the battle, Yui Hana passionately delivers lines like, "Humanity deserves the freedom to choose," and "Order without will is no peace, Vokura. Don't you see that?" Her words are sharp, emotionally charged, and aimed directly at Rai's convictions. As the fight intensifies, she continues, "We can't trade our souls for stability," and "What kind of peace erases choice?"—forcing players to grapple not just with the challenge of the combat, but with the weight of their ideological stance.
In the third ending, the player creates a diversion and escapes alongside EX-ZERO. This turns the final boss sequence into a tense final stage where the player and EX-ZERO are relentlessly pursued by both ZEROCORP and Humanity. Amid the chaos, ZEROCORP and Humanity forces clash with each other as well, adding to the frenzied atmosphere. The Running section becomes a high-stakes gauntlet of survival, emphasizing urgency, confusion, and the breakdown of all order.
Players were divided over the endings. Many were baffled, yet the ambiguity added to the game's mystique and From a gameplay standpoint, ZEX received praise for its mechanics. While some were confused by the narrative, most players appreciated the fluid, optimized gameplay.
As For Zaboru, after playing it, admired the depth and storytelling—even if perplexing. "Let Kojima cook," he said, suspecting the true ending might still be in Kojima's mind. Kojima also mentioned to Zaboru that the next Zone EX title wouldn't involve mechas at all—something Zaboru eagerly anticipates.
Next comes Yugo Kanai's wild and intense entry: Korosi: The Chainsaw Man. This game takes a vastly different direction...
This game remains similar to Koro-Cool, which served as its prequel. The backstory picks up after Koro defeats the alien menace from the previous title. Rather than returning to peace, he is abruptly abducted by devils and dragged into hell. However, instead of succumbing to despair, Koro is overjoyed—he now has a new battlefield. Armed with his signature Chainsaw Prosthetics, he begins to mercilessly massacre the lower devils in the area.
Among the ranks of hell's twisted hierarchy, a faction known as the Chainsaw Devils takes interest in Koro. These devils are unlike the others—they despise their own kind and aim to eradicate all demonic life. Their leader, Braghol, is a powerful Chainsaw Devil who offers Koro a pact. Recognizing Koro's appetite for destruction, Braghol bestows him with his own infernal power. As a result, Koro's Chainsaw Prosthetics transform: they turn jet black, humming with demonic energy, and grant him enhanced abilities fueled by rage and bloodlust.
As for the gameplay itself, it remains a side-scrolling action game, but instead of using upgrades like in the previous Koro-Cool, Korosi: The Chainsaw Man employs a level-based progression system. As players reach specific levels, Korosi unlocks new and devastating abilities. The gameplay is brutally intense, filled with exaggerated 8-bit blood effects that left Zaboru thoroughly impressed. The atmosphere successfully captures the raw chaos and unrelenting madness that define the world of Korosi, pulling players deep into its frenzied, blood-soaked hellscape.
There is also an ultimate mode called "CHAINSAW-MAN," where Koro amplifies Braghol's power, and the two fuse into the terrifying Chainsaw Demon. In this form, Koro's head transforms into a roaring chainsaw, his arms multiply become 4 and both his damage output and movement speed are dramatically increased. To enter this state, players must fill the "Madness Meter," which accumulates gradually by defeating enemies. Once full, activating Chainsaw Demon mode turns Koro into an unstoppable force of destruction.
The game features a wide variety of grotesque and creative bosses. Among them is the fearsome "Strong Devil," a hulking brute known for its raw power. There's also "Loghost," a named devil with a massive skull that lunges to bite the player, and "Wargog," a horrific fusion with four snarling dog heads and crocodile arms, combining speed and ferocity. The final boss is a showdown against the Z Devils—eldritch abominations with snake-like hands and a horned head capable of firing devastating lightning strikes. These encounters push the player's reflexes and strategy to the limit, adding unforgettable intensity to the carnage-filled adventure.
Overall, players loved the madness and the exhilarating feeling of fighting and annihilating devils. Zaboru was especially enamored with the game, praising Yugo for this game because Zaboru only gave tips and overall its yugo own design that make this game.
In addition to these two home console titles, Zaboru also released two arcade games in late January 1993: 1942 and Captain Commando. Both titles quickly garnered attention and became fan favorites under the NEW ZAS (ZAGE Arcade System) label.
Fans praised these arcade releases, expressing surprise and delight at how well ZAGE handled arcade systems, not just home consoles. The fast-paced action of 1942 and the colorful, energetic gameplay of Captain Commando demonstrated Zaboru's versatility in developing for different platforms, along with their success in the arcade scene through titles like Street Fighter, Streets of Rage, and Rampage, was anything but coincidental. These achievements underscored a deliberate and skillful mastery of both home console and arcade systems. As a result, ZAGE's reputation grew significantly, establishing the brand as a formidable force across multiple gaming markets.
to be continue
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